title: Role of clinical pharmacists' interventions in detection and prevention of medication errors in a medical ward.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Frequency and type of medication errors and role of clinical pharmacists in detection and prevention of these errors were evaluated in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  During this interventional study, clinical pharmacists monitored 861 patients' medical records and detected, reported, and prevented medication errors in the infectious disease ward of a major referral teaching hospital in Tehran, Iran. Error was defined as any preventable events that lead to inappropriate medication use related to the health care professionals or patients regardless of outcomes. Classification of the errors was done based on Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe Foundation drug-related problem coding.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 112 medication errors (0.13 errors per patient) were detected by clinical pharmacists. Physicians, nurses, and patients were responsible for 55 (49.1%), 54 (48.2%), and 3 (2.7%) of medication errors, respectively. Drug dosing, choice, use and interactions were the most causes of error in medication processes, respectively. All of these errors were detected, reported, and prevented by infectious diseases ward clinical pharmacists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Medication errors occur frequently in medical wards. Clinical pharmacists' interventions can effectively prevent these errors. The types of errors indicate the need for continuous education and implementation of clinical pharmacist's interventions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. khalilih@tums.ac.ir
authors.forename: Hossein
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Khalili
authors.forename: Shadi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Farsaei
authors.forename: Haleh
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rezaee
authors.forename: Simin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dashti-Khavidaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004347:Drug Interactions; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006757:Hospital Units; D006784:Hospitals, Teaching; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008508:Medication Errors / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010595:Pharmacists / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D024382:Professional Role; D012044:Regression Analysis; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents